We may be halfway into March 2026, but we're still in that time of the year when data firms and analysts are publishing their recaps of the previous year in the video game industry and reports for what's ahead. Global analytics firm Newzoo is the latest one to arrive and has published its PC and Console Gaming 2026 Report, which shows a few things we've seen before in other reports, as well as some new insights around some of the most popular genres in video games, like battle royales.
Firstly, some similarities. Newzoo's report, like Epyllion's, points out that PC gaming is pulling ahead of console gaming, with Newzoo adding that while PC gaming is driving more growth, console players are still spending more on average per individual. Overall, Newzoo predicts that PC gaming will continue to drive growth and outpace consoles into 2028, pushing the industry towards $103.7 billion in revenue.
Steam is also, unsurprisingly, the platform driving the bus on PCs, while for consoles, Newzoo cites the strength of first-party titles and higher subscription pricing as growth drivers, while also noting that the emphasis on subscriptions and a cycle of waiting for major releases is what keeps player growth down.
As for what people are spending their time playing, this is where things get particularly interesting. To start, the top 20 gaming franchises for 2025 according to Newzoo are exactly the ones you'd expect. They are, in the following order:
- Roblox
- Fortnite
- Call of Duty
- Minecraft
- EA Sports FC
- Counter-Strike 2
- League of Legends
- Grand Theft Auto V
- NBA 2K
- Marvel
- World of Warcraft
- Valorant
- Dota 2
- Rainbow Six
- Battlefield
- Apex Legends
- Rocket League
- Overwatch
- The Sims 4
- Monster Hunter
All recognizable franchises, some individual games, that are all live services, with 12 of them either entirely free-to-play or free to start with paid expansions and other paid elements. These games combined amounted to the majority of PC and console playtime across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. That's even with franchises and games ranked out of the top 20 being the second-biggest representation of where players spend their time.
They also, unsurprisingly, make up most of the revenue, especially on consoles. Only on PC are players spending more on games outside of the top 20 most played games and franchises.
These 20 video games and franchises are without a doubt continuing to dominate the industry. Interestingly though, the genres that large portion of these games belong to, those being shooters and battle royales, saw a major decline in player engagement and playtime in 2025.
Playtime for battle royales dropped 27% in 2025 compared to 2024, while shooters too a not insignificant 5% dip in 2025 compared to 2024. Sandbox games, however, saw a major increase in 2025, rising 35% in playtime compared to 2024, with a lot of that driven by the success of Roblox.
Roblox's growth as a platform simply cannot be understated, and while this isn't a sign of the death of battle royale games or anything quite as drastic, it is a signifier for what we could see in the future. Will the youth of today spending all their time in Roblox transition to battle royales like Fortnite? Or will they stick to sandbox games and find something closer to what they grew up playing? The answer is likely to have a serious impact on what the industry will look like in the future.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
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